Air University Organized Start
Up Weekend Islamabad 2016

A Unique event Where 12 companies were created just within 54 hours

After success of Startup Weekend 2015, Air University Islamabad has organized yet
another exciting, bigger and very successful event, Start Up Weekend Islamabad 2016
(Sep 30th - Oct 2nd, 2016). The weekend started on Friday evening with 100 plus
participants, 36 pitches, 15 teams and eventually ended up with 12 startups…. Most
of the startups were offered investment opportunities during the weekend and as
a reward, top three were offered wild card entry by Plan9, Pakistan’s largest business
incubator.

Air University put the show together in collaboration with Startup Hub and Plan
9. The event activities were fully hosted, supported & funded by Air University.

Startup Weekend is a global phenomenon - 54 hours of fast and furious transformation
of ideas to viable businesses featuring, development of business models, value proposition,
financial models, working prototypes, marketing strategy, customer validation etc
through extensive coaching & mentoring from experienced serial entrepreneurs, business
professionals & industry experts. It’s an unparalleled opportunity to build lasting
relationships with co-founders; mentors, and investors. The real value comes from
taking an idea from concept through to execution using Lean tactics and working
under high pressure with the best startups.

Start Up Weekend at Air University’s organizing team (Student Affairs together with
AU ORIC, Startup Hub & AU Sha’oor Society) was able to create a highly dependable
entrepreneurial eco-system for the event where they were able to attract eminent
industry professionals, business leaders, serial entrepreneurs, heads / representatives
of associations of local entrepreneurs in the form of inspirational speakers, coaches,
mentors, judges a well as incubators. The major event partner of startup weekend
Islamabad was Plan9. Among other event partners included Team UP, TiE (The Indus
Entrepreneurs), LCE, ILM 2 Ideas, JumpStart Pakistan, Bookitnow.pk, AU ORIC, Eventual,
Careem, Streamkar and Pro Pakistani. The Techstars appointed Mr. Hashim Yasin to
be the facilitator of the event who flew all the way from Karachi to conduct and
facilitate a very lively event in the footprints of Margalla Hills. Air University
provided a range of cost free services to the participants, including 3 meals per
day, refreshments / beverages, transport and on-campus accommodation.

Other than extensive on-on one coaching sessions, two valuable workshops were also
organized for the participants, for instance Plan9 workshop on Business Canvas Modeling
and Lean startup Methodologies by Rafi Imran Amjad from Teamup.

During start Up Weekend, participants from various academic and professional backgrounds
were supposed to transform their business ideas to minimum viable businesses or
product in 54 hours. The exciting weekend started on Friday evening with one-minute
pitching session, followed by co-founder dating session, during which different
participants teamed up to develop their business venture. During next day and a
half, experienced industry professionals and serial entrepreneurs kept joining start
up weekend as coaches and mentors in order to grill and polish the venture projects
of young enthusiasts and guiding them to the right direction. On Saturday
morning Dr. Syed Ismail Shah, Chairman PTA & CEO ICT R&D fund joined the event alongwith
VC Air University and Director ORIC AU for a mentoring session and also gave a very
enlightening and informative speech shared with the budding entrepreneurs all those
lucrative funding as well as business development and support opportunities, which
National ICT R&D is bringing for them. Chairman PTA / CEO ICT R&D Fund was presented
with the souvenir by VC Air University followed by a hi-tea. During
the course of the day, Syed Ahmad Masood (CEO Channel 7, Change Mechanics, Co-Director
The Founder Institute, Chartered Member TiE), ICT professionals & serial entrepreneurs
like , Hammad Khalique, Parvez Abbasi and Rafi Imran Amjad from TeamUp, Saad Hamid
from I2I, Helen Kamal, Qasim Mumtaz, Shoaib Ahmed, Asif Ejaz, Syed Rehan Afzal,
Agha Hamza, Nausheen Fatima and Khurram Shehzad. were few among so many of the mentors
who added value to the event by providing extensive coaching and mentoring to the
event participants. On Sunday morning Mr. Imtiaz Rastgar, serial entrepreneur, Chairman
Rastgar Group of Companies, and Mr. Mansoor Malik, Chairman Kamyab Pakistan & Member
Board of Governer TiE (Islamabad Chapter), Joined in to mentor startups. Later in
the evening, the venture teams were invited to present their working prototypes
along with the realistic business plan (including customer validation results, business
model, revenue model, unique selling point, business growth strategy etc.) in front
of eminent judges, business leaders and incubators / funding agencies. Each venture
team had to face a tough question-answer session by the experienced panel of judges.
The panel of judges included Mr. Imtiaz Rastgar, Mr. Faisal Khan (CEO Ovex Technology),
Meer Anwar (ICT Specialist & Consultant), Ms. Warda Altaf from Plan9 and Mr. Adeel
Sheikh from National ICT R&D Fund.

Almost all the venture teams exhibited quality work, which they had developed during
last 50 hours of continuous effort. To name a few included, Mobile OK(Used Mobile
Certification Services), Shop Desk, Turbo Charging, Track n Drop, Android Home Automation,
Exo-Skeleton, Garden Fresh etc. The Winners of the Start Up Weekend Islamabad, 2016
were I-Matter (3rd position), Portable Incubator (2nd position) and the Mad Hunt
(1st position). The all three were chosen by Plan9 to be given a wildcard entry
in their next incubation session, for further incubation and acceleration / funding
purposes.

At the end of event the participants were awarded certificates, partners were presented
with shields and judges and mentors were presented souvenirs of Startup Weekend
Islamabad. After concluding remarks by VC Air University, Air Vice Marshal (retd)
Faaiz Amir, group pictures were taken with all the Guests, Mentors and Judges, and
the event was formally closed with a corporate dinner from VC of Air University.